Assessing an injured dog

WHEN assessing an injured dog’s injuries, consider the following:

• Look at the colour of the gums. If they are pale or white, the dog is probably suffering from shock or blood loss. Take the dog to the vet immediately. If the gums are pink, it is a good sign that there is no major blood loss either externally or internally.

• Carefully run your free hand over the dog’s body to check and feel for a wound, swelling or painful area. Check the movement of the limbs and note if there is pain, swelling, a grating sensation, a floppy limb which is irregular in appearance, or if the dog itself cannot move one or more limbs. These indicate that the limb, pelvis or spine may be broken (fractured) or the joint dislocated. In such cases, or if the animal is unconscious, take it to the veterinarian.

If everything seems to indicate that the dog is sound, prop it up on its four legs and encourage it to walk. If it flops down, walks on three legs and carries the fourth, if it limps, staggers, refuses to move, cries frequently as if in pain or breathes in a laboured, panting fashion, wrap the dog in a blanket to keep it warm and to counteract shock, and take it to your veterinarian immediately.